Redwood League buys old mill site

The Save the Redwoods League has announced the purchase of the 125-acre former Orick Mill Site from Green Diamond Resource Co. for $2 million.

The site lies on the boundary of Redwood National and State Parks and is near two old-growth redwood groves in northern Humboldt County, Lady Bird Johnson Grove and the Tall Trees Grove.

The mill, which processed old-growth redwoods for nearly 60 years, was located at the junction of U.S. Highway 101 and Bald Hills Road.

The property also lies at the confluence of Redwood Creek and Prairie Creek and includes nearly a mile of Prairie Creek.

“This is one of the most important projects undertaken by the league in a long time,” said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of the Save the Redwoods League, in a press release. “Its potential for positively impacting the environment, the community, and the experience of visitors from around the world is staggering.”

The league plans to restore the meadow for Roosevelt elk that roam nearby and restore the streams for the benefit of imperiled coho salmon.

“We have worked closely with Save the Redwoods League to complete this transaction and are glad to see the league considering future development options that will benefit the community of Orick,” said Neal Ewald, vice president and general manager of Green Diamond, in the release.

The Save the Redwoods League will be seeking input on ways to showcase the natural and historical values of the area, and conducting environmental studies to determine the appropriate level of restoration and development on the site, the release stated.

Since it was formed in 1918, the Save the Redwoods League has purchased more than 190,000 acres of redwood forest and associated land.

Green Diamond is a private forest products company that owns almost 400,000 acres of timber land in Del Norte and Humboldt counties.